Seat Mii city car unveiled – third Up! variant

After Skoda unveiled last week it’s Citigo, Seat unveiled today it’s new city car that is based on the Volkswagen Up!.

The Spanish automaker will officially launch the Mii in the Spanish market in winter 2011, but UK buyers will have to wait until spring 2012 before they can order the city car. When it will hit the market, this little car will cost less than £8000.

The Mii is just 3.55 meters long, but like the Up and sister car, the Skoda Citigo there’s plenty of space for four and a 251 litre boot.

As with the Skoda and Volkswagen, the Mii comes with a choice of two petrol engines – 1.0-litre, three-cylinder units with either 59bhp or 74bhp. A five-speed automatic gearbox will be an option.
The very greenest version has stop-start and brake energy recuperation, to help it average 67.2mpg and emit 97g/km CO2. SEAT is also planning a CNG version for Europe, further lowering CO2 emission to 86g/km, although this version is unlikely to go on sale in the UK.

Like the Skoda/VW twins, there is also a City Safety Assist laser system, which can predict an imminent collision and slam the brakes on to avoid crashing into the G-Wiz in front while you slurp your latte and natter into your iPhone. Effective up to 18mph, apparently.

On the outside, the SEAT is distinguished from the Skoda and Volkswagen versions by another version of the family arrow-like nose. Instead of the VW’s full-length dark glass tailgate, the SEAT Mii has shallower glass and a conventional body-colour lower half.

Move to the back of the Mii and there’s a new set of distinctive rear lights with triangular detailing.
SEAT appears to be going the MINI/Fiat 500/DS3 route of enormous interior range of expressive colourways so every buyer can stamp their individual style on the Mii.
Which is fine for the new buyer, but it does mean there will be a lump of Miis on the market in the future with some very hard to shift interior combos.